Camosun Innovates

Spotlight on Innovation

Camosun Innovates uses cutting edge technology such as 3D printers, robotic systems and 3D scanners to allow faculty and students from different disciplines to turn their ideas into reality.

Camosun College launches world-class Babcock Canada Interaction Lab

Camosun College and Babcock Canada joined forces today for an exciting virtual reality ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the new Babcock Canada Interaction Lab at the college’s Interurban campus.

“Babcock Canada relies on skilled technicians and tradespeople to design, build, and maintain complex technology which plays an important role in Canada and BC’s marine industry and the economy,” says Babcock Canada President Mike Whalley. “We are proud to support the Interaction Lab, which will promote learning and skills development to help meet the needs of the future workforce.”

The opening of the Babcock Canada Interaction Lab represents a symbolic reawakening of the spirit of applied learning throughout the college, explains Camosun’s Director of Applied Learning Nancy Sly. “When we’re talking about applied learning, I don’t want us to forget that it’s at the core of who we are and what we do and it always has been. Now we are at a point where we are able to realign and reinvest so that we can take applied learning, research, interdisciplinary collaboration and experiential learning to another level.”

Camosun alumnus Hebron Watson believes that virtual reality will revolutionise local manufacturing and enhance the educational experience. “At Camosun Innovates, we created a simulated studio space so that when we had manufacturers going through the design and manufacturing process on a product with us, instead of looking at it in 2-D on a computer, they can enter a virtual reality space and understand it in 3-D,” he explains.

Pilots battling forest fires across the province endure unique stresses and challenges, explains Rich Burman, Interaction Lead for the Camosun Innovates team. “They’ll fly right into a smoke column and they say it’s like turning the lights off in a room, pitch black and all you can see are embers,” he says. “Their heart rates go up significantly in the space of a few seconds.”

Burman and his Camosun Innovates colleagues are working on a collaborative project with partners Conair Aviation Group, University of British Columbia and Latitude Technologies to monitor pilot fatigue and to improve overall flying safety.

Imtehaze Heerah on Camosun’s new Interaction Lab: 'The need is there and the resources are here.'

As a child, Camosun Mechanical Engineering faculty member Imtehaze Heerah was fascinated by his father’s work as Manager of the Public Works department for the town of Vacoas, Republic of Mauritius.

“My dad was always surrounded by heavy machinery and he was dealing with operations, people and sourcing all day,” he recalls. “I was exposed to the whole field from the bottom up and I took a liking to it.” At home, he’d dismantle his toys to discover how they worked. “My thinking was that if someone put it together at some point I should be able to take it apart and figure it out—that was just a natural thing for me.”

Babcock Canada Interaction Lab takes shape at Interurban

“The Interaction Lab has landed at the doorstep of Camosun College,” says Dr. Tim Walzak, Director of Camosun Innovates. “It’s truly a world class space and it has exceeded my expectations about how it’s shaping up.”

The Interaction Lab is part of Camosun’s commitment to enhancing Applied Learning, in partnership with Education and Student Experience. The college’s emphasis on Applied Learning helps Camosun meet the needs of students in a way that makes education meaningful. It is integral to bringing skills, knowledge and real-world problem-solving to the classroom experience.

Camosun leads Western Canada in applied research

Camosun College has emerged as a top regional leader in applied research and innovation, says Dr. Tim Walzak, Director of Camosun Innovates.

“It sets us apart from other institutions and we’ve made it a top priority for the continued transformation of the college going forward,” he notes. Walzak believes that applied research is key to Camosun’s success in supporting local industry and it is already serving as a dynamic catalyst of innovation throughout the region. “We know that technology is changing very rapidly in today’s workplace and we want to make sure that Camosun’s curriculum reflects those rapidly changing opportunities.”